Trading Block: Another mild day on the street. Apple hits a new high ahead of earnings, riding high on iPad 3 rumors. Apple's new high comes in spite of the fact that Android finally eclipsed IOS in the mobile market over the holidays. Netflix was up 14% today despite opting out of ultraviolet program. Is the widowmaker back? Nuance, perhaps a stealth play going into CES. Odd Block: Unusual activity in Perfect World Co., Ltd. (PWRD). Xpress Block: John Grigus runs the OX desk this week and discusses year-end topics, such as closing out worthless securities and most importantly, taxes. Listener Questions: Option margin Around the Block: Biotech and pharmaceutical stocks are lighting up the screens. Kodak closed and $0.40. What is their future? Looking forward to Alcoa. Lots of earnings and retail sales coming up.
Volatility Views 35: Aggressively Selling Volatility in the New Year
Volatility Review: After a holiday hiatus, Mark, Don, and Mark Sebastian discuss and review current and upcoming vol in 2012. The $64,000 question: Why is vol getting crushed? What's happening in the Euro zone? Volatility Viewpoint: A grab bag of volatility topics in this viewpoint section, including: VIX futures–how they trade, the nature of their term structure, contango, etc., and actual realized vol in the market for the past year. Mailbag: Best method of volatility measurement? Crystal Ball: Vol, S&P, VIX, EuroVol Contracts, and Jan futures–where are they moving this year? A few new contracts may be in the pipeline over at VolX.
Volatility Views 35: Aggressively Selling Volatility in the New Year
Volatility Review: After a holiday hiatus, Mark, Don, and Mark Sebastian discuss and review current and upcoming vol in 2012. The $64,000 question: Why is vol getting crushed? What's happening in the Euro zone? Volatility Viewpoint: A grab bag of volatility topics in this viewpoint section, including: VIX futures–how they trade, the nature of their term structure, contango, etc., and actual realized vol in the market for the past year. Mailbag: Best method of volatility measurement? Crystal Ball: Vol, S&P, VIX, EuroVol Contracts, and Jan futures–where are they moving this year? A few new contracts may be in the pipeline over at VolX.
Option Block 118: Buying Cheapy Premium
Trading Block: Market mostly unchanged today. Vol off modestly – a decent day for gamma scalping in the VIX. Jobless claims modestly lower – the market shrugged it off. A Metals/Commodities rundown. Apple on a little bit of a tear which has rallied since mid-December, augmented by a lot of attention with the CES next week. A quick discussion of butterfly and iron butterfly positions. Odd Block: Unusual activity in Barnes & Noble, Inc. (BKS) and Fossil, Inc. (FOSL). Xpress Block: Tim Navabi discusses the recent surge in costumers buying risk, with Bank of America being the most popular. Around the Block: CES on the horizon and will impact the volatility of many tech stocks – be on the lookout for the next Nvidia, which rallied 50% in the weeks following CES last year. Where will oil go now that it's above 100?
The Advisors Option Episode Two: Playing Defense with Protective Puts
Sometimes the market doesn't work in your client's favor. This episode explores the ways that protective puts can insulate your clients from the dramatic swings of the marketplace.
The Advisors Option Episode Two: Playing Defense with Protective Puts
Sometimes the market doesn't work in your client's favor. This episode explores the ways that protective puts can insulate your clients from the dramatic swings of the marketplace.
Option Block 117: 2011 Year in Review
The Option Block all stars look back on trends, headlines, and crazy trades from 2011, as well as look forward to what might happen in 2012
Volatility Views Holiday Hiatus
A brief hiatus
Option Block 116: Holiday Volatility Sale
Trading Block: A weak rally going into the holiday — not too much going down on the street except for the continued annihilation of volatility. GLD and GVX ended the year down. Not much movement otherwise given the time of year. Odd Block: A look back at some usual activity from the past, including GLD and Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI). Xpress Block: Rob K talks about straddles and strangles given the fact that volatility has been crushed lately.Around the Block: The bulk of the holiday weekend has already come out. Have a happy holiday!
Option Block 115: Scooping Cheap Volatility
Trading Block: A volatility/VIX rundown — it's up, it's down, it's in lockstep with the market, it does its own thing. It's VIX madness. Zenga, a new tech name to hit the market — can it follow in the footsteps of Linkedin, Groupon, Angie's List or the other 2011 tech bubble names? A Metals/commodity rundown Odd Block: Unusual activity in Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC), St. Jude Medical, Inc. (STJ), and an Odd Block review from 10/27 on Hecla Mining Co. (HL).Xpress Block: Tim Navabi discusses the busy Friday expiration, taking calls from customers about deep in-the-money spreads and other goings on at OX.Around the Block: What are we watching this holiday week? Buffalo Wild Wing (BWLB) joins the Wheel of Fun, also game developer Take 2. It's a holiday week, so plan accordingly if you are long premium.
Volatility Views 34: A Break from the Insanity
Volatility Review: This was an intriguing week for volatility action. Strange week in the world of VIX, with it finally returning to "normal." The novel concept of being fully insured. The seasonality of VIX–general uptrend in market plus professionals taking money off the table equals a perfect storm in VIX. Euro VolContract updates–December one-month went out at 11.12, three-month at 12.84.Volatility Viewpoint: Mark and Don discuss volatility with Stephen Figlewski, Professor of Finance at NYU's Stern School of Business, founding editor of the Journal of Derivatives, and Director at the Nasdaq OMX Derivatives Research Project.Crystal Ball: VIX at a much more tolerable level, but Mark thinks it will vacillate in this "new mean" for quite a while. January Euro VolContract is fairly new, but volatility is forecasted to be lower going out.
Volatility Views 34: A Break from the Insanity
Volatility Review: This was an intriguing week for volatility action. Strange week in the world of VIX, with it finally returning to "normal." The novel concept of being fully insured. The seasonality of VIX–general uptrend in market plus professionals taking money off the table equals a perfect storm in VIX. Euro VolContract updates–December one-month went out at 11.12, three-month at 12.84.Volatility Viewpoint: Mark and Don discuss volatility with Stephen Figlewski, Professor of Finance at NYU's Stern School of Business, founding editor of the Journal of Derivatives, and Director at the Nasdaq OMX Derivatives Research Project.Crystal Ball: VIX at a much more tolerable level, but Mark thinks it will vacillate in this "new mean" for quite a while. January Euro VolContract is fairly new, but volatility is forecasted to be lower going out.


